Railroad journal box



Aug; 6 19460 R J BFZQ'TTAIN, JR ZAQEJSZ RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX Filed March10, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m! VE/VTOR A? ICHAFED J @121 TM 1mm? x 015ATTO ARIA/g) 1945 R. J. BRITTAEN, m 5 232;

RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX Filed. Marchlfi, 1944 5 sheets sheeis 3 Fiq.1o

HIS ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 6, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILROADJOURNAL BOX Richard J. Brittain, Jr., Bloomfield, N. J., as-

signor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware Application March 10, 1944, Serial No. 525,883

14 Claims.

This invention relates to railroad journal boxes and comprises all ofthe features of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention isto provide improved means for mountin a journal box in a car frame.Another object is to provide improved swing link mechanism forsupporting a car frame on a journal box. To these ends and also toimprove generally upon devices of this character, the invention consistsin the various matters hereinafter described and claimed. In its broaderaspects, the invention is not neces sarlly limited to the specificconstructions selected for illustrative purposes in the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 is one half a horizontal section On Fig. 2taken at axle level and one half a horizontal section taken above theyoke.

Fig. 2 is one half an end view and one half a vertical central section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the yoke and associated parts.

Fig. 4 is one half a central vertical section and the remainder avertical section across the cushioned seat members, portions of thepedestal and of the yoke bein broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section across the cushioned seat members, portionsof the pedestal being broken away and the yoke being tilted.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views of modifications of the seatmembers.

Fig. 9is a perspective View similar to Fig. 3 of a modifiedconstruction.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section of the yoke of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the yoke of Fig. 9.

Figs. 12 and 13 are views similar to Fig. 5 showing the yoke of Fig. 9in two positions.

Fig. 14 i one half a horizontal section of Fig. 15 taken at axle levelwith the other half a horizontal section taken above the yoke.

Fig. 15 is one half an end view of Fig. 14 and one half a centralvertical section.

The axle journal 2 has a pair of inner race rings 4 clamped thereon fortwo rows of rollers 6 which run in an outer race ring Or box 8. An outerend cap l8 and an inner end cap [2 are bolted to the box, there being asuitable seal or guard between the inner end cap and the axle. The boxis four-sided, each side being flat along the central portion andtapering down slightly towards the ends as at l3, and the four cornersof the box are rounded as at I4. A saddle or seat plate [6 rests on thetop of the box and has limited rocking movement thereon, its undersurface being slightly crowned longitudinally of the axle. The seatplate has its opposite ends curled down as at [8 over the roundedcorners I4 of the box to prevent the seat plate from shifting crosswiseof the box. To prevent shiftin of the seat plate longitudinally of thebox, it has depending lugs 20 whose inner faces diverge and are crownedvertically alongside of the flanges on the end caps. Upwardly extendingflanges 22 on the seat plate form a channel in which fits the uppercross member 24 of a swinging hanger or yoke which embraces the box, theyoke being rockable with the seat plate on the box, the lugs 20 limitingthe rocking movement.

The yoke has flat side legs 26 extending down along the sides of the boxand below it, the legs being connected by a cross bar 28 which is spacedfrom the bottom of the box. The bar 28 has a wavy cross section withdepending flanges 30 and it is passed through similarly shaped slots inthe yoke legs 26 and welded to them. Gussets 32 are welded to the yokelegs and to the flanges 30, each gusset having a lug 34 bent inwardlyalong the lower end of the corresponding leg and welded to it. Eachprojecting end of the bar 28 thus provides a wavy shelf or seat 35having a central U-shaped concavity 36 and a pair of convexed ridges 38.A compressible cushion or pad 40 conforms to thewavy seat and supportsthe pedestals 44 of the side frame 42.

Each pedestal 44 is of U-shaped section with a flat vertical web 46alongside the adjacent yoke leg 28. Near the bottom each pedestal has arecess forming a horizontal web or seat 48 of wavy section which restson the cushion and is a counterpart of the adjacent wavy seat 35.Flanges 50 on the pedestals project downwardly in clearance relation tothe flanges 30 so that rocking movement between the yoke and thepedestals is limited. A safety bolt 52 on each pedestal extends belowthe adjacent seat or shelf 35 to prevent disengagement of the frame andthe yoke. A pair of lugs 53 on each pedestal embrace vertically crownedfaces on the front and rear end caps of the box to limit relativerocking movement between the pedestals and the box.

If the journal box and axle shift laterally of the side frame to aconsiderable extent as indicated in Fig. 5, the yoke will rock to anangular position out of the vertical, the yoke and its seat plate I6rocking on the top of the box and the yoke also having a tiltingmovement with respect to the pedestal seat. The pedestal will of courseremain substantially vertical. One of the convex ridges 38 of the seat35 will rock downwardly away from its corresponding concavity while theother rises,

thus tending to lift the side frame. The weight of the car thus resistsabnormal shifting and tends to restore the parts to central position.When the journal box and axle have only a slight shifting movement, thecushion will merely become more compressed at one side than at the otherwithout any resulting lifting.

In the alternative form shown in Fig. 6, steel liners 54 of wavy formare welded to the wavy seats and 48. These conform to each other so thatupon any relative tilting of the yoke and the pedestal, one of theconvex ridges will separate from its concavity while a sliding androcking movement occurs at the other side of the center so that the sidfram will rise and resist the movement, gravity thus tending to restorethe parts to normal position.

In Fig. 7, a pad or cushion is interposed between arcuate seats, thelower seat 35A having a longer radius than the upper seat 48A. Thecushion is shown with no load applied. Application of the load willcompress the cushion to the greatest extent at the center with thecompression decreasing towards the ends. If the yoke 26 tilts, theconnected lower seat 35A will tilt likewise but the cushion willincreasingly resist the movement. Upon extensive tilting, on f the endsof the arcuate seat 35A may engage the adjacent portion of the pedestalseat 48A and lift the latter.

In Fig. 8, a cushion or pad 56 shown without load applied i interposedbetween co-operating seats which are composed of straight linesmergingwith curves. At each side of the center, the

lower seat has straight portions 51 which make a slightly smaller anglewith the horizontal than the straight portions 58 of the upper seat.When load is applied the cushion will be initially compressed to thegreatest extent at the center. Tilting of the yoke 26 will beincreasingly resisted A by the cushion. The flanges 50A on th pedestalmake a similar small angle with the flanges 30A on the yoke 26 and hencesubstantial tilting of the yoke will compress the depending portions ofthe cushion.

In Figs. 9 to 15 the yoke has been modified at the sides and bottom. Theyoke legs 26A are rigidly connected at the bottom by an upwardly openchannel iron 60. This channel iron is secured to each yoke le by anangle iron 62, by

rectangular plates 64 and by trapezoidal plates 66, all welded in place.The channel 60 terminates flush with the outer surfaces of the yoke legs26A and loosely supports an angle iron 63 which extends beyond the legsto form at each end a seat for a cushion or pad. 10 on which rests anangular web or seat 485 of the pedestal: 4e.

Each yoke leg 26A has a vertical slot 12 which extends upwardly throughthe top of the leg. Welded to the pedestals are tapering wear plates orspacers 14 which occupy the slots. The spacers are thicker than the yokelegs to prevent the yoke from being pinched and thus prevented fromrocking freely between the pedestals and the box. A lug 16 on one sideof each pedestal will limit the shifting of the yoke and the box.

Fig. 13 shows the yoke in vertical position and Fig. I2 shows the yokein tilted position. The angl iron 63 has its legs at 45 to the verticalwhile the co-operating legs on the pedestal seat 4813 make a slightlygreater angle with the vertical. Accordingly the load initiallycompresses the cushion to the greatest degree at th center with less andless compression away from the center. Upon slight rocking of the yoke26A, the cushion will offer increasing resistance. Upon ample rockingmovement of the yoke and the connected channel, one of the legs of theangle iron will remain on the channel iron which rocks thereon to tiltedposition and leaves the other leg of the angle iron free as indicated inFig. 12. Accordingly there is a lifting of the pedestal although thelatter remains substantially vertical.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockabl thereon, means supported by the yoke andextending beyond the latter to form a supporting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing the legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the supporting seat, one seat having acentral concavity between a pair of convex portions and the opposingseat having a substantially matching contour, the seating surfaces beingsubstantially equidistant, and a pad of substantially uniform thicknessbetween the seats.

2. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, means supported by the yoke andextending beyond the latter to form a sup-porting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing th legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the supporting seat, one seat having acentral concavity between a pair of convex portions and the opposingseat having a substantially matching contour to form a pair of fulcrumsspaced apart crosswise of the frame for the yoke to tilt upon withrespect to the pedestal.

3. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, means supported by the yok andextending beyond the latter to form a supporting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing the legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the supporting seat, one seat having aconcave rounded portion extending crosswise of the frame and theopposing seat having a convex rounded portion spaced from the concaveportion, and a pad of substantially uniform thickness between the seats.

4. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokerockable on the box and having legs at the sides of the box, a framehaving pedestals embracing the yoke, a bar of wavy section extendingthrough and beyond the yoke legs to from a supporting seat at each sideof the box, and each pedestal having a wavy seat overlying thesupporting seat.

5. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokerockable on the box and having legs at the sides of the box, a framehaving pedestals embracing the yoke, each leg of the yoke having asupporting seat projecting outwardly therefrom to overlap the pedestalleg, each pedestal having a similar seat overlying the supporting seatand rockable thereon, and each pedestal having a side lug extendinginwardly across the edge of a yoke leg and into overlapping relation toan end of the box to limit shifting of the box and the yoke with respectto the pedestal.

6. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokerockable on the box and havinglegs at the sides of. the box, means forrigidly connecting the lower portions of the legs, the lower portions ofthe legs having wavy seats projecting therefrom, a frame havingpedestals embracing the yoke, and the pedestals having wavy seatssubstantially matching the first mentioned seats and supported thereby.

'7. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, means supported by the yoke andextending beyond the latter to form a supporting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing the legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the supporting seat, the co-operatingseats being of angle form and spaced apart, and a pad of substantiallyuniform thickness between the seats.

8. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, means supported by the yoke andextending beyond the latter to form a supporting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing the legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the supporting seat, the companionseats being of angle form, a pad of substantially uniform thicknessbetween the seats, the opposing legs of the angle diverging slightly asthey proceed away from the apex to apply a decreasing initial load tothe pad from I the middle outwards.

9. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokerockable on the box and having legs at the sides of the box, asupporting member for rigidly connecting the lower portions of the legs,an angular member mounted on said supporting member and projectingthrough and beyond the yoke legs to form angular seats, a frame havingpedestals embracing the yoke, and

the pedestals having angular seats substantially matching the firstmentioned seats and supported therebyfi 10. In a device of the characterindicated, a journal box, a yoke embracing the box and rockable thereon,means supported by the yoke and extending beyond the latter to form asupporting seat at each side of the box, a frame having pedestalsembracing the legs of the yoke, each pedestal having a seat overlyingthe supporting seat, the companion seats being spaced apart andextending in a direction crosswise of the frame, the

space between the seats graduall increasing from the middle outwards,and a pad of substantially uniform thickness between the seats.

11. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, each leg of the yoke having anopen ing alongside of the box, a frame having pedestals alongside of theyoke legs, means for supporting the pedestals on the yoke for relativerocking, and a spacing plate in each yoke leg opening and interposedbetween the box and the pedestal, the spacing plate being thicker thanthe yoke leg.

12. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, each leg of the yoke having anelongated opening alongside of the box, a frame having pedestalsalongside of the yoke legs, means for supporting the pedestals on theyoke for relative rocking, a spacing plate in each elongated opening andinterposed between the box and the pedestal, the spacing plate beingnarrower than the opening, and the sides of the plate and the sides ofthe opening being relatively tapered.

13. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box, a yokeembracing the box and rockable thereon, means supported by the yoke andextending beyond the latter to form a supporting seat at each side ofthe box, a frame having pedestals embracing the legs of the yoke, eachpedestal having a seat overlying the companion supporting seat, thecompanion seats being extended crosswise of the frame and constructedand arranged to support the yoke for tilting with respect to thepedestal about either of two laterally spaced fulcrums.

14. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box having its topunobstructed, a tiltable seat plate covering the top of the box andhaving downturned portions embracing the box, a yoke supported by theseat plate, a frame having pedestals embracing the yoke, a bar rigidlyconnecting the legs of the yoke and tiltable therewith, and meansproviding a rocking engagement between the pedestals and the legs of theyoke.

RICHARD J BRI'I'IAIN, JR.

